3 Reasons to Send a Cover Letter with Your Video Resume

Video resumes are growing in popularity.  If you’ve decided to give this new resume format a try, hang on before you submit your video for consideration.

Have you thought about completing a cover letter to send along with your video resume?  There are several reasons why you should consider including a cover letter with your video.

1. Brief Introduction

Whether sending with a traditional resume or a video resume, a cover letter is a great way to introduce yourself, your skills, and your interest in the position.  More importantly, when submitting a video resume, a cover letter can make the difference in your video actually being watched or pushed to the side by the hiring manager.

When you submit a written resume, the hiring manager is quickly introduced to your background and experience.  By writing a cover letter to include with your video resume, you are still providing a written introduction, along with a more visual resume format of your background and experience.

2. Capture their Interest

Let’s face it, a video file or DVD is not always the best attention grabber when applying for a job.  Quite often, the hiring manager may assume that the video is from someone trying to sell something, quickly tossing the video into the trash or over to the side to collect dust.

When you include a cover letter with your video file or DVD, you are immediately letting the hiring manager know that you are applying for a job.  By writing a brief introduction that the hiring manager is quickly able to read, he will then realize exactly what the video is, avoiding any confusion.

3. Give them a Reason to Watch

Just as with any cover letter, the entire purpose is to give the hiring manager a reason to consider viewing your resume.  When you briefly include your skills, experience, and interest in the position, you are giving the hiring manager a reason to continue looking at your resume.

Typically, when receiving cover letters with resumes, some hiring managers will first skip over the cover letter, glancing over the resume first and then circle back to the cover letter.  With a video resume, a hiring manager is not able to do this as easily.  This is why it is even more important that you include a letter with your video resume in order to provide the manager a reason to watch your video.

What are some other reasons why you might want to send a cover letter with your video resume?